Misplaced Pages

1986 Washington, D.C., mayoral election

← 1982 November 6, 1986 1990 →

Nominee Marion Barry Carol Schwartz Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 79,142 42,354 Percentage 61.4% 32.9%

Results by ward Barry:      60–70%      80–90% Schwartz:      50–60%      80–90%

Mayor before election Marion Barry Democratic Elected mayor Marion Barry Democratic

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On November 6, 1986, Washington, D.C., held an election for its mayor, with Democratic candidate and incumbent mayor Marion Barry defeating Republican candidate Carol Schwartz.

Incumbent Marion Barry sought a third term as mayor in 1986. By this time, his dominance of city politics was so absolute that he faced only token opposition in the Democratic primary in the form of former school board member Mattie Taylor, whom Barry dispatched rather easily. Barry had expected to face Jesse Jackson, who had been encouraged by colleagues to seek the mayoralty, and who had been relatively popular in stark contrast to Barry's declining reputation. Barry, who knew that most of Jackson's income came from delivering speeches, used his political clout to arbitrarily disqualify Jackson by getting a law passed that said anyone who made more than a certain amount in honoraria was ineligible to run for D.C. office. Council members jokingly called this the "Jesse Jackson law," as it was legislated expressly to keep Jackson out of the mayoral race.

As expected, he defeated Republican city councilwoman Carol Schwartz fairly handily in the November 4 general election. However, Schwartz won 33 percent of the vote—the first time a Republican had crossed the 30-percent barrier in a general election. For the third time, Barry received the endorsement of The Washington Post but "with far greater reservations and misgivings" than at any time in the past.

Results

Democratic primary

DC Statehood primary

See also

• Electoral history of Marion Barry

References

1. Jaffe, Harry S.; Tom Sherwood (1994). Dream City: Race, Power, and the Decline of Washington, D.C.. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-76846-8.
2. "Our Campaigns - DC Mayor Race - Nov 04, 1986".
3. "Marion Barry for Mayor". The Washington Post. November 2, 1986. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
4. "DC Mayor Election – 1990". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
5. "DC Democratic Primary 1986". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
6. "DC Statehood Green Primary 1986". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 7, 2016.

• 1986 elections in Washington, D.C.
• 1986 United States mayoral elections
• Mayoral elections in Washington, D.C.
• November 1986 events in the United States